thatrainbowcity | (no subject)

(no subject)

[video interludes :: formal frequency - low quality]

[camera caption]: great clock tower – bang.
[camera caption]: three pigeons on the sideway, carriage passing by.
[close-up]: blood trails by their feet.
[camera caption]: an alliance of masked gentlemen. Crack of a whip.

"Lost…?"

[camera caption]: desert dust, red circle. Black. Red.
[camera caption]: red coats in motion.
[close-up]: blistered fingers.
[camera caption]: palm… tap.

"Are you really trying to - "

[camera caption]: space, red stars, some white. Nebula.
[close-up]: metal, wires. Money bills.
[camera caption]: the faint flicker of smoke.

"Doesn't work that way."

[camera caption]: forest, deep, wide. Whistling, then a flash of white.
[close up]: upper arm area before a swift kick.
[camera caption]: hand patting the ripped corner of a bandana in a muddied field. Picks it up.
[camera caption]: fair haired man, eschewing light.

"Never heard of anyone going there."

[camera caption]: scale. On the left hand: tan lotion, camellia, hair style magazine. On the right hand, chalk.
[close up]: scale, underneath, half scribbled on marble :
STILL NEEDS MORE

[close up]: black bra covers the next word, if any. Same item as in past videos; same lace.

[ooc: all citizens should be able to receive this on their normal frequency! ]

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Could this shit be more vague?

I'm sure it could be, darling.

I guess. Not by much of a degree. I have no patience for puzzles.

Yeah, I know you don't, but there's something going one with these feeds though.

That much is apparent.

Private//Unhackable

How you are you fairing, baby?

As well as I can be. These fuckers are persistent. I'll give them that. How about you?

Persistent is the right word for it.

I'm going to be sore, other than that I'm fine. Nothing broken.

Yeah and to think some of these assholes around here actually bought what those things were selling. It seems stupidity knows no bounds in this place.

Let the buyer beware. It was too good to be true. Too easy.

Exactly. One of the Cardinal rules, everything comes at a price.

Heh, you know for all the experience we have, I never thought we would be using against an alien invasion.

Is your location secured?

Not everyone's used to playing our game.

It might look impressive or ludicrous on a resume.

To the best of my abilities, Snake Charmer.

No, they are not. To bad for them.

I don't know when we'll get to actually see each other again. So make sure you don't get killed in the meantime.

I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. Not when mine are so comfy.

Mmm, I hope it won't be too long. But don't worry, baby. I'm a live wire. These bitches don't know who they've fucked with.

I know you are, give those assholes hell, darling.

With all the cross meetings, we should bump into each other at some point.

All nine circles of it.

I'll look forward to that. Watch yourself too, Bill. I love you.

They can't keep this old guy down. I love you too, Elle.

This can't be from the 'Stewards'. There's meaning in it, but broken.

Distraction.

No, it's something else. Who or what would want to distract us at a time like this?

The very ones we're resisting.

Hardly. It doesn't seem their style at all. They're secretive, but they're not riddlers.

Until it's proven otherwise, I will believe them to be the culprits.

I believe I'll set out to prove it otherwise, then.

Good idea. Better to have one mind officially working on this than the public wildly putting out a mass of theories.

The public is preoccupied. I doubt there will be many theories presented.

If it happens, will ignore them in favor of yours.

I appreciate your confidence, sir.

I'm inclined to agree with you that these transmissions are not from the aliens.

I'm wondering if they may be some sort of hint from the deities myself. Not that those guys would be helpful unless it suited them in some way.

So you see what I mean when I say it isn't their style.

I'm rather glad to know I'm not the only one thinking that. If the 'deities' were forced out or chased out and want their power over the City back, they may very well be sending us messages.

Unless there's even another person involved.

There were spoken words and a written message in the previous film as well, I believe. There is a message here, but it's in pieces. 'We are coming' the last one said.

Yeah I do. I get more of a collective vibe from the aliens. These videos don't give me that feeling at all.

Well from the research I have been doing over the City since I got here. That's entirely possible and the deities; especially that one called Paulie would speak about higher-ups. Maybe their bosses are trying to send us some sort of clue?

Hmm, do you think that could have been meant literally? That someone is actually coming?

And the images, when one can catch them, don't match the false comforts and promises they gave us either. But it doesn't match the 'deities' either. They were almost human in some regards, just cross bureaucrats, really.

I do think it's possible that it was meant literally, and if it isn't the 'deities' who are sending these films, then for the reason you mentioned: the 'deities' have spoken of their higher-ups. I've heard there used to be other 'deities', in fact.

If the 'deities' were charged with maintaining the City, and the City was unexpectedly invaded by these creatures, wouldn't it be reasonable that the 'higher powers', those above the 'deities', would intervene for the sake of their city?

Good point, if they put the 'deities' in charge, then it would stand to reason that this place may have some sort of value to them.

Now am I wondering if they can indeed intervene or if they need something from us in order to do so? I've heard it been said that the emotions that the population generates is what keeps the Carousel and the clock going. Do you think there could be a connection there that we might be missing?

These aliens seemed rather determined to destroy the Carousel even though it is defending itself.

To put it ironically, the 'deities' were the stewards of the City.

This one ended with 'still needs more', but there was even more to that phrase than could be seen.

That's what we've all been told about the clock and the Carousel: it's the heart of the City. What could the Carousel need save winding up?

So it seems that may be what we need to figure out. What 'still needs more' and 'still needs more' of what?

The image is of a scale. So something is unbalanced about the scale. More chalk or more to counterbalance it?

More of something--but what?

So we see tan lotion, camellia and hair style magazine on one side and chalk on the other side. While a bra covers what could be more writing.

Maybe there is something of meaning in the items on the left side. Wasn't there an image of a beach in the last transmission?

Edited 2008-01-06 05:59 (UTC)

There was, yes. And 'We're coming' was written in the sand.

That lady's brassiere was seen in the previous film as well. The lace is the same. It makes me wonder if the lady to whom it belongs figures into this as well.

The items seem random, somehow. I wonder: will we be expected to provide things of our own to balance the scale, like sacrifices, or payment?

Not so random though, the items on the left do seem to have a feminine feel to them. Which could relate to lingerie and the possible owner of said lingerie. The tan lotion just makes we think of the beach.

Have you ever heard the saying, 'One man's junk is another man's treasure'? What if the random items on the left are seemingly insigificant and worthless to us but priceless to someone else? Maybe what you are thinking of sacrifices and payment could work the same way?

You're quite right, they do.

I have, often. It's entirely possible that's the case here too. The 'deities' always demanded payment for any favours they did.

Unfortunately, even if we're right about all this, we have no way of confirming that we are right. We may have to wait for another film to come through before we can get a better idea of what's happening.

True, it is just good to know I am not the only one thinking there is something there.

I'm Bill by the way.

No, there's absolutely something there. It's in pieces, but it's there. We've only to put the pieces together.

Cain Hargreaves. Glad to make your acquaintance.

Exactly and thus far it looks like we are gonna need more pieces.

Likewise, Mr. Hargreaves. I think we are in the same branch of the resistance. So maybe we can confer further on these images if more arrive?

So we are. Yes, I'd appreciate that--we'll plan on conferring should another such film appear. I've informed (http://razrsharp.livejournal.com/11412.html?thread=1077396#t1077396) Mr. Brocklehurst of my thoughts about these films and Lyra and I have discussed them briefly. Their ideas about them are much the same as yours and mine.

That certainly works for me. Especially if there is something in these riddles that may help us in the long run.

Whether the solutions help in the long run or not, I'm sure these riddles are connected to the 'Stewards'. They're a big enough problem for the moment.

Don't I know it. I'm just hoping these riddles are hinting at us not being more screwed then we already are at this point.

I can't even imagine that being possible.

Unfortunately I lived long enough to know that even when it seems unimaginable, that things could get worse, that they can indeed get worse.

I'm getting a deities are fucking with us vibe, again.

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